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  <H1 ALIGN="CENTER">Apache Server Frequently Asked Questions</H1>
  <P>
  $Revision: 1.4 $ ($Date: 2000/04/04 16:51:06 $)
  </P>
  <P>
  The latest version of this FAQ is always available from the main
  Apache web site, at
  &lt;<A
       HREF="http://www.apache.org/docs/misc/FAQ.html"
       REL="Help"
      ><SAMP>http://www.apache.org/docs/misc/FAQ.html</SAMP></A>&gt;.
  </P>
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  <P>
  If you are reading a text-only version of this FAQ, you may find numbers
  enclosed in brackets (such as &quot;[12]&quot;).  These refer to the list of
  reference URLs to be found at the end of the document.  These references
  do not appear, and are not needed, for the hypertext version.
  </P>
  <H2>The Questions</H2>
<OL TYPE="A">
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 <LI VALUE="1"><STRONG>Background</STRONG>
  <OL>
   <LI><A HREF="#what">What is Apache?</A>
   </LI>
   <LI><A HREF="#why">How and why was Apache created?</A>
   </LI>
   <LI><A HREF="#name">Why the name &quot;Apache&quot;?</A>
   </LI>
   <LI><A HREF="#compare">OK, so how does Apache compare to other servers?</A>
   </LI>
   <LI><A HREF="#tested">How thoroughly tested is Apache?</A>
   </LI>
   <LI><A HREF="#future">What are the future plans for Apache?</A>
   </LI>
   <LI><A HREF="#support">Whom do I contact for support?</A>
   </LI>
   <LI><A HREF="#more">Is there any more information on Apache?</A>
   </LI>
   <LI><A HREF="#where">Where can I get Apache?</A>
   </LI>
  </OL>
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</OL>

<HR>

  <H2>The Answers</H2>
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  <H3>A. Background</H3>
<OL>
 <LI><A NAME="what">
      <STRONG>What is Apache?</STRONG>
     </A>
  <P>The Apache httpd server
<UL>
 <LI>is a powerful, flexible, HTTP/1.1 compliant web server
 <LI>implements the latest protocols, including HTTP/1.1 (RFC2616)
 <LI>is highly configurable and extensible with third-party modules
 <LI>can be customised by writing 'modules' using the Apache module API
 <LI>provides full source code and comes with an unrestrictive license
 <LI>runs on Windows NT/9x, Netware 5.x, OS/2, and most versions of Unix, 
     as well as several other operating systems
 <LI>is actively being developed
 <LI>encourages user feedback through new ideas, bug reports and patches
 <LI>implements many frequently requested features, including:<BR><BR>
  <DL>
    <DT>DBM databases for authentication</DT>
    <DD>allows you to easily set up password-protected pages with 
    enormous numbers of authorized users, without bogging down the server.
    <DT>Customized responses to errors and problems</DT>
     <DD>Allows you to set up files, or even CGI scripts, which are
      returned by the server in response
      to errors and problems, e.g. setup a script to intercept
      <STRONG>500 Server Error</STRONG>s and perform on-the-fly diagnostics for
      both users and yourself. </DD>
    <DT> Multiple DirectoryIndex directives </DT>
    <DD> Allows you to say <CODE>DirectoryIndex index.html
         index.cgi</CODE>, which instructs the server to either send
         back <CODE>index.html</CODE> or run <CODE>index.cgi</CODE>
         when a directory URL is requested, whichever it finds in the
          directory.
    <DT> Unlimited flexible URL rewriting and aliasing </DT>
    <DD> Apache has no fixed limit on the numbers of Aliases and
         Redirects which may be declared in the config files.  In addition,
	 a powerful rewriting engine can be used to solve most URL
         manipulation problems.
    <DT>Content negotiation</DT>
    <DD>i.e. the ability to automatically serve clients of varying
     sophistication and HTML level compliance, with documents which
     offer the best representation of information that the client is
     capable of accepting.</DD>
    <DT>Virtual Hosts</DT>
     <DD>A much requested feature, sometimes known as multi-homed servers.
      This allows the server to distinguish between requests made to
      different IP addresses or names (mapped to the same machine).  Apache
      also offers dynamically configurable mass-virtual hosting.
     </DD>
    <DT>Configurable Reliable Piped Logs</DT> 
     <DD>You can configure
     Apache to generate logs in the format that you want.  In addition, on
     most Unix architectures, Apache can send log files to a pipe, allowing
     for log rotation, hit filtering, real-time splitting of multiple vhosts
     into separate logs, and asynchronous DNS resolving on the fly.
  </DL>
</UL>

  </P>
  <HR>
 </LI>

 <LI><A NAME="why">
      <STRONG>How and why was Apache created?</STRONG>
     </A>
  <P>
  The <A HREF="http://www.apache.org/ABOUT_APACHE.html">About Apache</A>
  document explains how the Apache project evolved from its beginnings
  as an outgrowth of the NCSA httpd project to its current status as
  one of the fastest, most efficient, and most functional web servers
  in existence.
  </P>
  <HR>
 </LI>

 <LI><A NAME="name">
      <STRONG>Why the name &quot;Apache&quot;?</STRONG>
      </A>
  <P>
  A cute name which stuck. Apache is &quot;<STRONG>A
  PA</STRONG>t<STRONG>CH</STRONG>y server&quot;.  It was
  based on some existing code and a series of &quot;patch files&quot;.
  </P>

  <P>
  For many developers it is also a reverent connotation to the Native
  American Indian tribe of Apache, <A
  HREF="http://www.indians.org/welker/apache.htm">well-known for their
  superior skills in warfare strategy and inexhaustible endurance</A>.
  Online information about the Apache Nation is tough to locate; we 
  suggest searching 
  <A HREF="http://www.google.com/search?q=Apache+Nation">Google</A>, 
  <A HREF="http://www.northernlight.com/nlquery.fcg?qr=Apache+Nation">Northernlight</A>, 
  <A HREF="http://infoseek.go.com/Titles?qt=Apache+Nation">Infoseek</A>, or 
  <A HREF="http://www.alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/asearch?query=Apache+Nation">AllTheWeb</A>.
  </P>
  <P>
  In addition, <A
  HREF="http://www.indian.org/">http://www.indian.org/</A> and <A
  HREF="http://www.nativeweb.com/">http://www.nativeweb.com/</A> are
  two excellent resources for Native American information.
  </P>
  <HR>
 </LI>

 <LI><A NAME="compare">
      <STRONG>OK, so how does Apache compare to other servers?</STRONG>
     </A>
  <P>
  For an independent assessment, see
  <A HREF="http://webcompare.internet.com/chart.html">Web Compare</A>'s
  comparison chart.
  </P>
  <P>
  Apache has been shown to be substantially faster, more stable, and
  more feature-full than many other web servers. Although certain
  commercial servers have claimed to surpass Apache's speed (it has
  not been demonstrated that any of these &quot;benchmarks&quot; are a
  good way of measuring WWW server speed at any rate), we feel that it
  is better to have a mostly-fast free server than an extremely-fast
  server that costs thousands of dollars. Apache is run on sites that
  get millions of hits per day, and they have experienced no
  performance difficulties.
  </P>
  <HR>
 </LI>

 <LI><A NAME="tested">
      <STRONG>How thoroughly tested is Apache?</STRONG>
     </A>
  <P>
  Apache is run on over 6 million Internet servers (as of February
  2000).  It has been tested thoroughly by both developers and
  users. The Apache Group maintains rigorous standards before
  releasing new versions of their server, and our server runs without
  a hitch on over one half of all WWW servers available on the
  Internet.  When bugs do show up, we release patches and new versions
  as soon as they are available.
  </P>
  <HR>
 </LI>

 <LI><A NAME="future">
      <STRONG>What are the future plans for Apache?</STRONG>
     </A>
  <P>
  <UL>
   <LI>to continue to be an "open source" no-charge-for-use HTTP server,
   </LI>
   <LI>to keep up with advances in HTTP protocol and web developments in
    general,
   </LI>
   <LI>to collect suggestions for fixes/improvements from its users,
   </LI>
   <LI>to respond to needs of large volume providers as well as
    occasional users.
   </LI>
  </UL>
  <P></P>
  <HR>
 </LI>

 <LI><A NAME="support">
      <STRONG>Whom do I contact for support?</STRONG>
     </A>
  <P>
  There is no official support for Apache. None of the developers want to
  be swamped by a flood of trivial questions that can be resolved elsewhere.
  Bug reports and suggestions should be sent <EM>via</EM>
  <A HREF="http://www.apache.org/bug_report.html">the bug report page</A>.
  Other questions should be directed to the
  <A HREF="news:comp.infosystems.www.servers.unix"
  >comp.infosystems.www.servers.unix</A> or <A HREF=
  "news:comp.infosystems.www.servers.ms-windows"
  >comp.infosystems.www.servers.ms-windows</A>
  newsgroup (as appropriate for the platform you use), where some of the 
  Apache team lurk, in the company of many other httpd gurus who 
  should be able to help.
  </P>
  <P>
  Commercial support for Apache is, however, available from a number
  of third parties.
  </P>
  <HR>
 </LI>

 <LI><A NAME="more">
      <STRONG>Is there any more information available on
      Apache?</STRONG>
     </A>
  <P>
  Indeed there is.  See the main
  <A HREF="http://www.apache.org/httpd">Apache web site</A>.
  There is also a regular electronic publication called
  <A HREF="http://www.apacheweek.com/" REL="Help"><CITE>Apache Week</CITE></A>
  available.  Links to relevant <CITE>Apache Week</CITE> articles are
  included below where appropriate. There are also some 
  <A HREF="http://www.apache.org/info/apache_books.html"
  >Apache-specific books</A> available.
  </P>
  <HR>
 </LI>

 <LI><A NAME="where">
      <STRONG>Where can I get Apache?</STRONG>
     </A>
  <P>
  You can find out how to download the source for Apache at the
  project's
  <A HREF="http://www.apache.org/httpd">main web page</A>.
  </P>
  <HR>
 </LI>
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